NHL FanHouse

Marian Hossa Signs a One-Year Deal With Detroit, Gives Pittsburgh the Finger

Pat Lackey — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:19:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Wings, NHL Free Agency

The biggest name on the free agent market this summer has found a new home, and it's not a home many people expected him to end up in. As he promised, Marian Hossa did indeed sign a contract for less than market value to win a Stanley Cup. The surprising part? It's a one year deal with the Detroit Red Wings.

In many places this will be spun as "Hossa just wants to win." This is complete and utter horsepucky. Hossa wants to have his cake and eat it, too. Prior to Detroit's one-year, $7.4 million offer, it looked like Hossa's choices were to take a monstrous deal from Edmonton or Vancouver, or sign for slightly less money with a more serious contender like Pittsburgh or Montreal. He seems to have definitely left a seven-year, $50 million offer from the Penguins on the table. Now Hossa gets his shot at the Cup this year, and if it works out he gets his huge payday next year. In the all-time Mercenary Move Hall of Fame, this one is a first-ballot inductee.

As many have already noted, Hossa fits in perfectly with the Wings. He's a great two-way player and this one year deal lets them shoot for a repeat in 2009, then leaves plenty of cap room to deal with Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen, who will be UFAs after next year. In purely hockey terms, it's a great move for Hossa and Detroit. In terms of karma? Hossa's really tempting the universe on this one.

Marian Hossa Signs a One-Year Deal With Detroit, Gives Pittsburgh the Finger originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sharks Hire Detroit's McLellan as Coach

Bruce Ciskie — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 21:45:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, General NHL, Wings, Sharks, Western

The photo you see here is Detroit Red Wings assistant coach Todd McLellan hoisting the Stanley Cup last week in Pittsburgh.

The San Jose Sharks hope to see McLellan hoisting a Cup soon in his new role. A press conference is set for Thursday, where McLellan will be named the Sharks' head coach, replacing the fired Ron Wilson.

"It's a very good feeling," McLellan said in a statement released by the team. "From the first moment Doug called to the moment he offered the job, I felt comfortable. I think the Sharks have done a tremendous job. You don't get that close to 50 wins for a number of years in a row without a lot of talent. It's a matter of getting over the hump. There are some real parallels between the Wings and the Sharks."

It's a sound hire for San Jose, as McLellan was likely to become a head coach this summer. He assisted Mike Babcock for three years in Detroit, spending a lot of his time working with the Wings' power play. If his work there is any indication, I wouldn't be wanting to take too many penalties when playing the Sharks next season.

McLellan also spent four years as a head coach with the Houston Aeros of the AHL, so he's not void of any head-coaching experience.

What happened to San Jose in this year's playoff wasn't totally Ron Wilson's fault (injuries played a huge role), but it was time for a change. Tip your cap to GM Doug Wilson for not hiring one of the many retreads that were out there (I'll forget I ever heard the name "Mike Milbury" connected to this search, K?).

(Thanks, Kukla's Korner!)

Sharks Hire Detroit's McLellan as Coach originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 21:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lidstrom, Osgood on the Tonight Show

Eric McErlain — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 06:14:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, General NHL, NHL Fans, NHL Media Watch, NHL Videos, Stanley Cup

Here's another hidden bonus of having the NHL on NBC: Getting a pair of Red Wings on Jay Leno with the Stanley Cup. It was nice to see that half of Rochester, Michigan was in the audience and that they got a chance to touch the Cup.

Stick Tap: Mirtle.

Lidstrom, Osgood on the Tonight Show originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 06:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Way to Kill a Career #23: Talking Bad About Your Town

Kevin Schultz — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:03:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Wings, NHL Videos, Stanley Cup

Meet Katrina Hancock. Aside from having a potentially unfortunate last name (tee-hee!), she is also a reporter for NBC's Detroit affiliate WDIV. Hancock was assigned to cover the Penguins and Wings Stanley Cup Final but at some point she became the interviewee and not the interviewer. KDKA, a Pittsburgh station interviewed her and, well, I don't want to spoil the YouTube. What I will say is that it's a lesson in instantaneous career suicide.

The money quote: "She was the only Detroit journalist to say that Pittsburgh has better fans than Detroit."

Really? The only one? You don't say! I guess the rest of them liked their jobs too much. Seriously, did she want to get fired? If she did, I can commend her for doing it in such a creative way. Otherwise, well, WHAT THE HECK WAS SHE THINKING?

What Hancock said might not have been the best quote of the whole piece, though. The Pittsburgh anchor, Paul Martino, finished his piece by saying "and I had to promise Katrina that we wouldn't be sending that interview back to Detroit." Somehow I imagine it took a Herculean effort on his part to not burst out laughing in the middle of that sentence. You had to figure that he was smart enough to know (unlike Hancock) that even though he wouldn't send it back to Detroit personally, in a digital world things like this do, in fact, get back to Detroit.

Whoops. I guess it is very different when you're on the other side of the microphone.

h/t Awful Announcing and Puck Daddy

Way to Kill a Career #23: Talking Bad About Your Town originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bob Neumeier: 'Mr. Losing Locker Room Reporter Guy'

Eric McErlain — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Wings, NHL Media Watch, NHL Videos, Stanley Cup

It's one of the toughest jobs in all of sports broadcasting. While your colleagues are talking with athletes who are overjoyed at reaching the pinnacle of their sport, you're stuck interviewing one of the guys from the losing team. On NBC during the Stanley Cup Finals, that guy was Bob Neumeier.

Which really just gives me an excuse to play this appropriate tribute.

Bob Neumeier: 'Mr. Losing Locker Room Reporter Guy' originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PuckToons: M.A. Fleury Pulls a "Chris Phillips"

Earl Sleek — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Wings, Stanley Cup

Every Thursday, Earl Sleek will conspire with his pen and scanner to bring you another installment of PuckToons. Hopefully you will find these amusing, relevant, well-drawn, or you're a person who is tolerant towards mediocrity.

It was quite a finish for this year's Stanley Cup Finals last night, as the Detroit Red Wings ended their dominant season and postseason with a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. I can't help feeling for Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, though, as his attempt to sit on a loose puck in the third period literally backfired into the net on what would prove to be the cup-winning goal.

It may take Penguins fans a while for the sting of that goal to wear off, especially if opposing fans start using the phrase "pulling a Fleury" to describe self-inflicted wounds. Still, at least it isn't exactly an unprecedented embarrassment - if you recall, last year's cup-winning goal occurred when an unpressured Ottawa Senators defenseman Chris Phillips put the puck past his teammate Ray Emery in the second period of Game Five.

Overall, Fleury had a tremendous postseason and shouldn't let this one blunder tarnish his reputation. Still, if he's as lucky as Phillips, someone else will score next year's cup-winning goal into their own net and help hockey fans move past Fleury's rubber-pants play.

PuckToons: M.A. Fleury Pulls a "Chris Phillips" originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Live Chat: The Day After The Cup

Mirtle M.D. — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:52:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, General NHL, Penguins, Wings, Stanley Cup

After 1,316 games, regular and postseason, the NHL's 2007-08 campaign came to a close last night in Pittsburgh when the Red Wings carried away their 11th Stanley Cup.

To wrap things up in style, please join myself and FanHouse's all-star cast of bloggers and analysts as we take a final look at the finals, last night's Game 6 and the year that was.

The chat gets underway at 1 p.m. ET.

Topics for discussion:

Does four Cups in 11 years constitute a dynasty in today's NHL?
How likely is it that the Red Wings repeat?
How should the Penguins prepare for next season?
What They're Saying: The Morning After
Hockeytown is Titletown
And a look toward free agency, next week's NHL awards and the 2008 entry draft

Hope to see you there.

Live Chat: The Day After The Cup originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chelios Wants Another Season in Detroit

Eric McErlain — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:47:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago, Detroit, General NHL, Blackhawks, Wings, NHL Videos, Stanley Cup

As I was watching Chris Chelios skating the Stanley Cup around the ice at Mellon Arena last night, I couldn't help but wonder: Was this the last we'd see of the 46-year old defenseman? After playing in 15 of Detroit's first 16 playoff games, Chelios was injured at the tail end of the Western Conference Finals with Dallas, and was a healthy scratch for all six games against Pittsburgh.

Well, wonder no more.

Perhaps Red Wings owner Mike Illitch was just caught up in the excitement, but as far as he's concerned, he's open to having Chelios back for another season, and maybe more:

"Certainly I would love to have him back,'' Holland said. "He's still a good player and he loves hockey. He loves to compete and you can't have enough of those guys in the locker room.''

[...]

"What can you say about a guy who's going to go to the Hall of Fame? One of the greatest American players, if not the greatest American player, ever. He's pulling for the team, it wasn't about him, it was about the team.''

As for Chelios, he told multiple outlets that he wanted to be back next year as well.

Back during the 1998-99 season when Chelios was dealt at the deadline to Detroit from the Chicago Blackhawks, I can recall thinking that it seemed like a fitting coda to the Chicago native's career. I figured he'd have at least one, maybe two genuine shots at the Cup and then call it a day. But now, here we are more than eight seasons later, and Chelios is still chewing up ice time. The funny thing is, as of next season, Chelios will have played as many years in a Red Wings uniform as he did in Chicago, the franchise so many fans associate him with.

Then again, Chelios never won a Cup in Chicago, and now he's won twice in Detroit. And the fact is you can't fault the man's enthusiasm. After all, he was a healthy scratch last night, yet he still came on the ice after the game wearing a full uniform to celebrate with his teammates.

So when will Chris Chelios retire? Probably when they pry the skates off his cold, dead feet. Don't hold your breath waiting.

Chelios Wants Another Season in Detroit originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What They're Saying: The Morning After

Kevin Schultz — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, General NHL, Penguins, Wings, Stanley Cup

Each day throughout the Stanley Cup Finals, I'll be taking a look around the blogosphere at what various bloggers are saying about the series. Today, this is that post.

Well, the finals have come to an end and so will What They're Saying. It was nice having you along for the ride and thanks for tuning in every morning. Special thanks goes out to all the bloggers out there who graciously let me pull quotes from them everyday. And, of course, a congratulations goes out to the Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings. Without further ado, here's the pulse of the blogosphere on the morning after their Cup victory. It's a special extended edition.

Headline of the day goes to Melt Your Face Off: Do You Believe in Probable Outcomes? YES!!!!

When you're a fan of a sports team, you live and die with them every single day of the season. You feel the bumps and bruises during the year in your own individual way.

You get excited when training camp starts to creep up.

You maneuver your life schedule around game days.

You memorize every player's number, their nicknames, places of birth, and jersey size.

You put off work to scan message boards and websites to gather the latest news and rumors.

When the playoffs come around, all bets are off. Loved ones are ignored. You have trouble concentrating at work on game days. You live and die with every shift. The Cup changes everything.

You live with the ups and die with the downs. Your heart sinks with every goal against and accelerates with every goal for.

You're a hockey fan and you love your team.

Fans in both Detroit and Pittsburgh are at opposite ends of the spectrum of emotion right now. One is on top of the world right now. The other, silenced and stunned after watching their team leave everything they had on the ice.

- Going Five Hole

On behalf of NHL fans who have no rooting interest in the Stanley Cup Finals, I'd like to offer a sincere thank you to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

On Monday for NHL FanHouse I wrote that the Penguins had to play Game 5 of the Finals as if they were never going to pass that way again.

That's what they did. Granted, they blew a two-goal lead and trailed 3-2 entering the final seconds of the third period as Detroit fans chanted, "We want the Cup." That proved to be an opportunity to demonstrate the Penguins' depth of character.

...

The better news? NHL bashers have gone silent. And for that, we have the Penguins to thank. Two separate programs that usually do their level best to bash the NHL -- Around the Horn and Pardon the Interruption -- decided to take a pass. Instead of slandering hockey, both shows demonstrated rare balance and took the NHL seriously.
They had little choice. When a hockey game goes past midnight ET and more than 6 million people in the U.S. watch a portion of it, sports talk shows must acknowledge the NHL is a major league. Having listened to so many critics use the NHL as a punching bag, these Finals are a welcome respite.

- Eric McErlain

The better team won. Let's just get the clear from the start here. The Detroit Red Wings are your 2008 Stanley Cup Champions thanks to their 3-2 Game 6 win in Pittsburgh. The Penguins gave it all they had, but they were flat for most of the game and two (really) bad goals did them in. They made a game out of it with Marian Hossa's late deflection goal, but it was all for naught as Chris Osgood made one final glove save to seal the deal for Detroit.

Detroit was the better team in this series, but the Pens did themselves in by playing so poorly in the two opening games in Detroit. As good as this Penguins team was, they were not going to be able to take four out of five from this Red Wings team. Hats off to the Wings, they earned it.

- Taking One for the Team

I've been celebrating if you can't tell and the Wings are Stanley Cup frickin champs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'll have more post game analysis when I get off of work and am of sound mind. Haha. But go Wings!!!!!!!!

- Behind the Jersey

Yes.

11.

Congratulations Wing fans.

- Abel to Yzerman

What started out as a lopsided series finished with two barn burners. Kudos to the Penguins for reinvigorating the Finals with their late-game intensity tonight and Monday night-both games had thrilling white-knuckle endings (though tonight came with an earlier bedtime than Game 5).
And of course, congratulations to the Red Wings for a dominant performance, and to Nicklas Lidstrom as the first European-born team captain to win the Cup.

- On Frozen Blog

What They're Saying: The Morning After originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Ice Sheet: Hockeytown is Titletown

Bruce Ciskie — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Wings, Stanley Cup

Every day from Monday to Saturday, The Ice Sheet will take a look at the biggest stories in the league that happened on the ice and elsewhere the night before.

The Stanley Cup has escaped the clutches of its caretakers, preferring to rest in the hands of sweaty, bearded men (except for Chris Osgood, who doesn't do beards, apparently) wearing white and red.

Detroit overcame Pittsburgh's home ice advantage and skated Stanley after a 3-2 win in Game Six Wednesday night. The Wings have now won an incredible 13 straight Game Sixes when leading series 3-2. 10 of those 13 have been on the road.

That stat should tell you all you need to know about Detroit's dominance, both in these playoffs and in this league over the last 11 playoff seasons. They have four Cups in that span, which is probably as close to a dynasty as you're going to see in this era of salary caps and parity and all that stuff.

Game Six didn't start well for the Penguins. An early Detroit power play was converted when Brian Rafalski's left point shot went in off Pittsburgh defenseman Hal Gill. Rafalski was open after the Penguins collapsed on Henrik Zetterberg in the right circle. Zetterberg dished the puck back to Rafalski for the shot. The period was closely contended, but Detroit had a 1-0 lead after one.

It was enough to silence the Pittsburgh fans a little bit, but in all honesty, the Penguins played well enough to make one think they still had a shot. Even after falling behind, they didn't lose their compusure, as they had in the first two games of the series.

(Coming up: More on Game Six, the officials remain in the spotlight after the drama of Game Five, links you can enjoy, and a YouTube of some sort)

Detroit really put a defensive clamp on the Penguins in the second period. They were all over Pittsburgh's skill players, and with the ice being awful in Pittsburgh, life wasn't easy for the likes of Crosby, Hossa, and Malkin.

As Pittsburgh began to play more and more tentatively, perhaps realizing that every mistake they made left them more susceptible to a goal than they could afford, the Wings took advantage of a rare Marc-Andre Fleury mistake (at least, as the last couple games went) to double their lead. Fleury made the initial save on a shot by Mikael Samuelsson, but Valtteri Filppula was there to take advantage of a bad rebound by Fleury. He backhanded a soft shot past Fleury before he could get back in position, and the Wings had a 2-0 lead.

Pittsburgh found an answer on the power play. Evgeni Malkin (!) wristed a beautiful shot past Osgood from the left wing to cut the lead in half. It set us up for a dramatic third period, with the Stanley Cup again on the line for Detroit.

Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, this wasn't Fleury's night. Having already given up one bad goal in the second, Fleury's lack of puck control and puck sense cost the Pens big-time in the third. Zetterberg took a quick wrister from the left circle, and Fleury closed the pads on the low shot. He didn't stop the puck, which trickled through and stopped in the blue paint. Fleury realized he didn't have it, flopped back to lay on it, and inadvertently knocked it into his own net, giving Detroit a seemingly insurmountable 3-1 lead.

A late power-play goal by Pittsburgh cut the lead to 3-2, but the Pens got no closer, and their inability to generate even-strength chances in the third period was striking. A frantic final two minutes, keyed by the power play and subsequent quick goal, just wasn't enough for the Penguins. Their fans were total class afterward, giving their team multiple standing ovations, and chanting the name of their goaltender.

Detroit was the best defensive team in the league during the regular season, and it definitely showed when their four series were decided. Nashville was gallant in their effort, but couldn't generate much of anything in the fifth or sixth games. Colorado did nothing in four games. Dallas couldn't launch any kind of comeback in their sixth game against Detroit. The Red Wings, an amazingly skilled offensive bunch, showed their two-way skill all year long. Pavel Datsyuk and Zetterberg made it clear that there is a good reason for both to be Selke Trophy finalists.

Late in the third, Stanley safely exited the box and was given a quick shine for his appearance later in the evening. There was no Pittsburgh comeback on this night.

Your Conn Smythe winner (playoff MVP) is Zetterberg. It's fitting that he got the game-winner, as he was clearly Detroit's best player in these playoffs. The near-singlehanded penalty kill in Game Four will be the great image of this series. It was also the turning point for the Red Wings.

Congratulations, Detroit. I still don't like it when people say "Hockeytown", but right now, you are. Enjoy and savor, because your team is the best in the sport. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if they were again next season, given how well-coached they are and how awesome their top players are.

Finally, I want to tip my cap to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Many wrote them off, especially after the way the series started. However, the heart and grit they showed was enough to keep them in this. They weren't as talented, or skilled, or physical, or well-coached as Detroit. But they showed they undoubtedly, unarguably, belonged on the same ice as the best team in the sport. You don't often get to do much better than that.

For Fleury, there will be better nights. Hopefully, the last two goals allowed in this long journey won't haunt a tremendously talented young goaltender for years to come.

The officials continue in the spotlight. After two goaltender interference penalties were called against Detroit during overtime Monday night, it was obvious that the NHL would have to field questions and criticisms about their officials. Again.

Offering a defense of the controversial calls (sort of) was Mike Brophy of The Hockey News:

NHL referees are damned if they do and damned if they don't. While they don't like the idea of calling goalie interference in overtime, let alone twice in extra time, they also don't relish the idea of a goalie being hit by an opponent and the winning goal being scored while the fallen goaltender is unable to do his job. It is a discretionary call.

"We don't want the Stanley Cup-winning goal being scored with the goalie on his back after being crashed into," said NHL executive Kris King.

The more controversial of the two was on Dan Cleary, who courageously drove to the net looking to win it for his team and become the first player from Newfoundland to have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup. You would be hard-pressed to find anybody in the rink who thought his motive was to wipe out Fleury, but the call was made nonetheless.

Frankly, I would have been happier if the referee stopped play to see if Fleury was OK and didn't penalize Cleary.

Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau was on NHL Live (XM Radio or on the NHL Network) Tuesday, and what he said basically boils down to "Don't blame the refs; blame the rule". He made it sound as if the league has virtually no choice but to address the issue this summer.

Random YouTube. Hockey is officially over. However, it's now summer. Just for fun, let Will Smith tell you about it.

In case you missed it, FanHouse hosted a live chat Wednesday afternoon with Carolina defenseman Bret Hedican. He was super. I fully recommend taking a few minutes to look it over if you couldn't make it here for the chat.

Got a Tip ... or a link you'd like to share with us? Just use this form to let us know.

Thank yous. Eric McErlain e-mailed me in early March, inviting me to join the NHL crew here at FanHouse. I can't thank him enough for reaching out to me and allowing me to be a part of this. Thanks also to the rest of the NHL writers, who welcomed me with open arms (not literally).

Thanks also to Mrs. Ciskie. My beautiful wife endures a lot so I can do work that I enjoy, whether that be here at FanHouse or at my "real job". I thank her, even though "thank you" doesn't do justice to her understanding, patience, and general coolness.

I also want to thank all our readers. Without your clicks, we wouldn't be here. I hope you visit often during the off-season.

The Ice Sheet: Hockeytown is Titletown originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Detroit Red Wings Win the Stanley Cup

Pat Lackey — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 23:42:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Wings, Stanley Cup

After 104 games (for the Red Wings, 102 for the Penguins), the NHL season has come to a close. With a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Detroit Red Wings are hoisting the Stanley Cup tonight.

For every hockey fan that wanted an exciting game, they certainly got their fill tonight. The Wings jumped to a 2-0 lead on goals by Brian Rafalski and Valtteri Filppula, the Pens fought back with a big goal by Evgeni Malkin to close out the second period. With the Pens' buzzing early in the third, Marc-Andre Fleury let a puck trickle through his legs, then knocked it into the net. The goal was credited to Henrik Zetterberg and it proved to be just barely too much for the Penguins. Marian Hossa added a goal minute and a half to go, then Sidney Crosby snuck one past Chris Osgood that trickled in the crease and very nearly crossed the line with about 0.2 seconds on the clock.

Still, almost counts for nothing and there's really no question that Detroit has been the best team during both the regular season and the playoffs. Nicklas Lidstrom becomes the first European captain to hold the Cup, Henrik Zetterberg wins the Conn Smythe, and it's hard to argue that they don't deserve it. Congrats to the Wings, the 2008 Stanley Cup Champions.

The Detroit Red Wings Win the Stanley Cup originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 23:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stanley Cup Finals: Game Six Live Blog

Eric McErlain — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Wings, NHL Live Blogging, Stanley Cup

Welcome back to the Igloo. Can the Penguins extend the season one more game, or do the Red Wings tighten things down and collect Lord Stanley?

Join us beginning at 7:30 p.m. U.S. EDT to find out. See you then.

Stanley Cup Finals: Game Six Live Blog originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Wings are Like Totally Awesome, Dude!

Kevin Schultz — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:03:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, General NHL, Wings, Stanley Cup

Chad Kroeger here just livin' the life. What's goin' on dudes and dudettes?

Did you see that hockey game the other night? Yeah, you did? Totally gnarly, man. I mean, my Red Wings lost and I'm pretty bummed about that. Gotta hand it to the Penguins, though. They really fought hard. They played some good hockey. I've been a fan for so long dude you have NO idea. I'm so glad that they finally have a chance to win another Stanley Cup. It's been forever since they've won a Cup. 1955 I think. Wow. That's almost as bad as being a Cubs fan.

I'll be honest though, dudes. I didn't get to see all of the game. I left after the first overtime cause I had to get up early this mornin' and do TOTALLY GNARLY and BAD *** stuff! WOOOOOO!!! Kidding. Kidding. You thought I was a lameo didn't you, bro? Nah. My boy Kid Rock and I were out hittin' the clubs all night looking for hot babes. There weren't enough at the game, know what I'm sayin'? It was great. I got six different phone numbers. It's amazing how easy this is once you're a big famous rock star like me. You should try it. It's great.

But hey, I figure I should get back to bein' totally awesome now. It's what I do, bro. It's what I was put on this earth to do.

But before I go I just need to say one thing. Go Wings! WOO! Craig Ozgood is THE MAN! Can't stop the Big Red Machine!

Peace out, bros.

If you couldn't tell, that's not actually Chad Kroeger of Nickelback fame. It's actually just me, Kevin Schultz, pretending to be. But doesn't it all seem plausible nonetheless?

The Wings are Like Totally Awesome, Dude! originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Game Six Pre-Game Live Chat With Bret Hedican

Eric McErlain — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:15:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Wings, NHL Fans, NHL Live Blogging, Stanley Cup

Be sure to stop by at 1:00 p.m. this afternoon as we host another live chat session. I'll be co-hosting along with Ted Starkey, NHL Editor for AOL Sports as we talk to Bret Hedican, currently a defenseman with the Carolina Hurricanes. It's sure to be interesting, as Hedican won a Cup himself just two seasons ago with Carolina, and he's been in the headlines thanks to his wife, Olympic Gold Medal winner Kristi Yamaguchi, the current champion at Dancing With the Stars. See you at 1:00 p.m.

Game Six Pre-Game Live Chat With Bret Hedican originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Ice Sheet: Is America Waking Up to the Stanley Cup?

Eric McErlain — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:55:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Wings, NHL Videos, Stanley Cup

Every day from Monday to Saturday, The Ice Sheet will take a look at the biggest stories in the league that happened on the ice and elsewhere the night before.

I think it's time for hockey fans everywhere, and that includes the fans of the Detroit Red Wings, to stand up and give a sincere round of applause to the Pittsburgh Penguins for putting in a performance on Monday night/Tuesday morning that has helped the NHL -- if only for a moment -- grab a significant chunk of the American sports spotlight.

All over the place yesterday, folks couldn't stop talking about Pittsburgh's heart-stopping 4-3 triple overtime win on Monday night, a win that breathed new life into the Penguins, the series and maybe even the NHL.

Yesterday for the first time I could remember, Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon spent a few moments on Pardon the Interruption talking about hockey, and talking about the Finals in terms that fans of the game wouldn't find insulting. To say it was a breath of fresh air would be an incredible understatement. And after doing nothing but bashing hockey for years, why did these guys decided to cut the sport an even break.

I hate to be cynical about it, but do you think the television numbers might have something to do with it? All Spring long, the news from Versus and NBC has just gotten better and better: After taking a battering since the lockout -- a battering exacerbated by a dedicated knot of sports editor and writers who would like to see the league fail -- the NHL is starting to show some life on television once again.

Every game of the Finals, even the ones that were carried on Versus, experienced huge gains over 2007. And on Saturday night in the face of competition from the EliteXC on CBS, the NHL still managed to hold its ground. While the debut of MMA on network television might have averaged a larger total audience over the course of the evening, hockey won the night in the critical 18-39 and 18-54 male demos.

That all helped to set the stage for Monday night for what looked like a possible Cup clincher. Instead, the Penguins simply refused to die -- and 6.2 million Americans were more than happy to watch them stave off defeat.

Now, are these numbers a perfect gauge of America's real interest in hockey? As my colleague Bruce Ciskie, a veteran of the radio business, has pointed out, there are all sorts of flaws in the Nielsen ratings system. But there should be little doubt that when the numbers turn in the right direction, a whole lot of other dominoes start falling in the same direction too.

So thank you, Sid, Geno, Petr, Gary, Marian, Marc-Andre, Ryan, Rob and all the rest. Thank you for holding off the dawn and living to fight another day. When you did, you forced a whole lot of folks normally too busy to notice to realize just how great a game it is that you play. And whether or not you come back to win the series or even just force a Game Seven, hockey fans owe you a lot today.

And About That Pizza ... As our buddy G-Dub mentioned yesterday, the Penguins were fueled during overtime on Monday with Domino's PIzza, while the opposition in the Red Wings locker room was eating Little Ceaser's, which of course is owned by team owner Mike Illitch. As you might suspect, some enterprising folks from Pittsburgh are already taking advantage, producing this amusing little video:

Got a Tip ... or a link you'd like to share with us? Just use this form to let us know.

Latest NHL Photos

Pittsburgh Penguins hockey player Adam Hall is interviewed Thursday, May 29, 2008 at the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh. The Red Wings lead the Stanley Cup Finals best-of-seven series 2-1 after the Pittsburgh Penguins won game three Wednesday night. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Detroit Red Wings' Johan Franzen, of Sweden, skates during practice at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Sunday, May 25, 2008. The Red Wings shut out the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-0 in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup hockey finals Saturday, and will face them again on Monday night in game two of the best of seven series. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Detroit Red Wings' coach Mike Babcock, center left, leads the team through practice at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Sunday, May 25, 2008. The Red Wings shut out the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-0 in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup hockey finals Saturday, and will face them again on Monday night in game two of the best of seven series. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Veteran Detroit Red Wings' and Stanley Cup final goalie Dominik Hasek, of the Czech Republic, skates towards the goal during practice at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Sunday, May 25, 2008. The Red Wings shut out the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-0 in game one of the Stanley Cup hockey finals Saturday, and will face them again on Monday night in game two of the best of seven series. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Detroit Red Wings' Darren McCarty stretches during practice at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Sunday, May 25, 2008. The Red Wings shut out the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-0 in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup hockey finals Saturday, and will face them again on Monday night in game two of the best of seven series. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Detroit Red Wings' Dan Cleary, left, brings the puck in on backup goalie Dominik Hasek, of the Czech Republic, during practice at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Sunday, May 25, 2008. The Red Wings shut out the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-0 in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup hockey finals Saturday, and will face them again on Monday night in game two of the best of seven series. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Detroit Red Wings Johan Franzen (L) takes a shot on goalie Dominik Hasek during the team's practice for the NHL Stanley Cup Finals in Detroit May 25, 2008. REUTERS/Shaun Best (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

Detroit Red Wings Kirk Maltby (L) playfully jostles with Darren Helm during the team's practice for the NHL Stanley Cup Finals in Detroit May 25, 2008. REUTERS/Shaun Best (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

Detroit Red Wings goalie Dominik Hasek takes a break during the team's practice for the NHL Stanley Cup hockey finals in Detroit, May 25, 2008. REUTERS/Shaun Best (UNITED STATES)

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Detroit Red Wings Chris Chelios takes a rest during the team's practice for the NHL Stanley Cup Finals in Detroit May 25, 2008. REUTERS/Shaun Best (UNITED STATES)

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The Ice Sheet: Is America Waking Up to the Stanley Cup? originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What They're Saying: Tuesday Morning

Eric McErlain — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Wings, NHL Fans, Stanley Cup

Each day throughout the Stanley Cup Finals, FanHouse will be taking a look around the blogosphere at what various bloggers are saying about the series. Today, this is that post.

Kevin Schultz, your regular tour guide when it comes to what's happening around the Blogosphere, is otherwise indisposed this morning, and I'm happy to spell him on the morning after of what has to be considered the best game of the series -- perhaps the best game in the Stanley Cup Finals for a number of years now.

How exciting was Pittsburgh's 4-3 triple overtime win? Let me put it this way: The viewer stats for our live chat of last night's game actually increased once the game went into overtime. Clearly there are enough die hards out there to keep overtime in the Stanley Cup Playoffs until doomsday, though I'll be interested in what the ratings people have to tell us later this week.

On the Detroit side of the ledger, the one comment that encapsulates last night's game best comes from Bill Houlihan of Abel to Yzerman, who wrote this morning: "Posting will be light today. And that's all I have to say about that." If it sounds like Bill was anticipating a Stanley Cup celebration last night -- along with just about every other neutral party in the hockey world -- you're right.

From the more joyful side of the ledger, here's The Sweater Ted:

[I]t's a team effort when you win a Stanley Cup Final game in triple overtime. The boys get a well deserved day off and we'll see if there's anything left in the tank for Game 6. Sergei Gonchar told NBC that he'd "absolutely" be in there but we wonder how banged up he might be. He took a nasty spill into the wall and if we put a speculating cap on that could very well be a separated/dislocated shoulder. And the rest of the D is no doubt tired from picking up the Sarge's slack. But it's a team and when one falls the rest step up. That's what happened tonight. That's all we need. One game at a time, boys, let's go back home and win there.

More joy from, where else, but The Pens Blog:

The champagne was chilled.
The shirts were hanging in the lockers.
The Cup was there. You could smell it.

34 seconds away from a painful offseason of what-ifs and Amber Alerts.
34 seconds away from potentially seeing Kid Rock's team win the Stanley Cup.

Against all odds, and with hope desperately fading,
Max Talbot brought Joe Louis Arena and the hockey world to a halt.

Little did we know that we were about to see one of the top playoff goaltending performances in NHL history.

And we had no clue about whether we would have a new Kaspar to cherish...
Or a new David Volek to vomit about.

For those of you too young to remember, David Volek was the New York Islander who scored in OT of Game Seven of the 1993 Eastern Conference Seminfinals to put an end to Pittsburgh's hopes of a third straight Stanley Cup, but otherwise passed without a trace during a brief NHL career. Those goals hurt. Forever.

Or maybe not. Here's Sean Leahy:

Will Max Talbot's goal live in infamy in Detroit? Could this game be a tide-turner in the series? I think many people will say yes because it's such a gut-wrenching loss for Detroit, being 30 seconds away from lifting the Stanley Cup. I don't think it'll be that big of a factor. The Red Wings are such a veteran team that they've all had plenty of tough losses in their careers, this one will hurt, but it'll be out of their minds by the morning.

True enough. But something tells me there's one member of the Wings who's thinking things over a little harder this morning, and that's Nik Kronwall. Here's Gorilla Crouch:

Niklas Kronwall made a play he's probably made hundreds of times for the Red Wings; the puck was sitting in front of his net like a grenade, ready to cause all sorts of damage. He swatted it towards the boards to eliminate that threat but something that almost never happens put the Wings in a 2-0 hole: the puck went into his own net. We're talking about fractions of one percent as far as how often a fluke like that happens.

Fluke or not, we're headed back to Pittsburgh to Game Six with some heady new life breathed into the series. And thank God for that. After Game Four at the Igloo, it looked like the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals were going to go down as a mere footnote in hockey history. Now we have a chance for something more, and when is that ever a bad thing?

What They're Saying: Tuesday Morning originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 03 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stanley Cup Finals: Game Five Live Blog

Eric McErlain — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:01:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Wings, NHL Live Blogging, Stanley Cup

You know the score. The Red Wings are back on home ice with a 3-1 series lead and looking to clinch. We'll be here live starting at 7:30 p.m. U.S. EDT with the expectation that the Cup may very well make an appearance and we'll be closing the door on the 2007-08 season. Looks more or less like the whole FanHouse crew will be peeking in at some point, so please join us.

Stanley Cup Finals: Game Five Live Blog originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Game 5 Live Chat With Ryan Getzlaf

Mirtle M.D. — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, General NHL, Penguins, Wings, NHL Live Blogging, Stanley Cup

The Stanley Cup is on hand in Detroit, and may be awarded in about 11 hours time. We're marking the occassion with a bit of star power of our own here at FanHouse.

Please join myself and Anaheim Ducks star Ryan Getzlaf for a live chat beginning at 1 p.m. today, where we'll discuss tonight's game and the playoffs in general. Getzlaf will be taking questions for half an hour, offering his thoughts on what might be the final game of the 2007-08 season.

Last time around we had more than 1,000 participants, so I hope you'll join that merry crew on your Monday afternoon and tune in to hear what one of the game's young stars has to say about the Stanley Cup finals.

Game 5 Live Chat With Ryan Getzlaf originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Ice Sheet: Red Wings Can End it Tonight

Eric McErlain — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Wings, NHL Media Watch, Stanley Cup

Every day from Monday to Saturday, The Ice Sheet will take a look at the biggest stories in the league that happened on the ice and elsewhere the night before.

It's tough to find a whole lot more to say about Game Four of the Stanley Cup Finals that hasn't already been written. The Pittsburgh Penguins, a young team that had looked so promising at the start of this series, is now staring down the barrel of a 3-1 series deficit. And if it hadn't been for Tomas Holmstrom striking a post in the 3rd period of Game Three, this series could very well already be over.

What was the difference in Game Four? It all came down to two moments: Jiri Hudler's ~~second~~ third period goal, one that would have been impossible if defenseman Brad Stuart hadn't managed to hold the puck in the zone just seconds before; and Detroit's masterful kill of a 5-on-3 power play midway through the third period, one where Henrik Zetterberg proved just how much he deserved that Selke Trophy nomination by tying up Sidney Crosby while he had a chance to stuff a puck in on Chris Osgood's doorstep.

That's usually all it takes in the Stanley Cup Finals, just one or two moments when the other guy is willing to sacrifice a little bit more than you are. Of course, you never exactly know when those moments are going to come, which means you need to be sure to sacrifice like that on every last shift. The Wings have. Pittsburgh hasn't. It really is that simple.

It's a lesson Wayne Gretzky and the Oilers learned during the 1983 Finals against the Islanders, and it's a lesson the young Penguins and Sidney Crosby are learning the hard way right now. True, Gretzky and the Oilers came back just a year later to dethrone the Isles and start a dynasty of their own, but fate is often far crueler. You only get so many chances to win a Championship, and there's no guarantee that you'll ever get another shot.

So the series shifts back to Detroit tonight, and there are few in the hockey world who expect to see anything other than the Wings awarded their fourth Cup in 12 years after it's all over. The easy thing to do, and what most teams in the history of the league have done at this point, is to simply fold. And one could hardly blame the Pens if they did just that.

Then again, when it comes to winning a Cup, you never know when you'll pass this way again. Here's hoping Crosby and the rest of the Penguins play like it tonight.

In Case You Missed It ... Here's what our gang racked up over the weekend here at FanHouse:

Is Melrose Back or Not? Back on Friday, plenty of folks picked up on Damien Cox's report that the incoming ownership group in Tampa Bay was planning on hiring Barry Melrose as head coach. But since then, all we've gotten is a smattering of denials from everyone involved, including from the great mullet himself:

In a classic, "hold on here a second" kind of post, Mirtle put this decision under the microscope, and thinks it says all sorts of bad things about the folks who want to put their hands on the controls. It's hard to argue with his point, especially when he mentions the fact that Vincent Lecavalier is entering the last year of his contract before unrestricted free agency. With Tortorella gone, Montreal might look all that much better to Lecavalier.

Milbury Goes Off the Rails. Again ... Late on Friday afternoon at the Sporting News, I spilled a couple of thousand pixels explaining why I thought Mike Milbury had become an embarrassment to NBC Sports, thanks to his antics during an interview with presumptive NHL MVP Alex Ovechkin last Wednesday night. Well, on Saturday, he didn't fail to disappoint, following it up with another ridiculous performance where he told co-host Bob Neumier to "shut up".

Stay classy, Mike. I'm sure that somewhere in television land somebody's saying that NBC ought to be glad that the folks who are bashing him are spelling his name right. But let me tell you, this isn't the kind of buzz you want to generate.

And When They're Not at FanHouse ... Our guys are some of the busiest in the business. Please stop by their home blogs and show they some love:

Over at his place, Mirtle is seeing how Detroit's performance in this playoff compares historically.
Bruce Ciskie is still chewing over Blake Wheeler's decision to stiff arm Phoenix.
I've been ignoring The Hockey Show on the NHL Network. J.P. thinks everyone should give it a second look.
Kevin Schultz may need to move to Tampa.
Matt Saler is usually at On The Wings, but be sure to check out his place at The Bleacher Report.
Pat Lackey pondered a rare Pirates blow out. Sure, it's baseball, but Pat's our man.
Earl Sleek's buddies at BoC have dug up some interesting Photoshops.

Zetterberg's YouTube Moment: Unless we're in for an historic turnaround in the next 72 hours, the turning point of the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals will have to be the 5-on-3 power play the Wings killed midway through the third period. And the moment of truth in the midst of that kill had to come right here, as Zetterberg did the dirty work against Crosby down low:

Got a Tip ... or a link you'd like to share with us? Just use this form to let us know.

Latest NHL Photos

Detroit Red Wings Johan Franzen (L) takes a shot on goalie Dominik Hasek during the team's practice for the NHL Stanley Cup Finals in Detroit May 25, 2008. REUTERS/Shaun Best (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

Detroit Red Wings Kirk Maltby (L) playfully jostles with Darren Helm during the team's practice for the NHL Stanley Cup Finals in Detroit May 25, 2008. REUTERS/Shaun Best (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

Detroit Red Wings goalie Dominik Hasek takes a break during the team's practice for the NHL Stanley Cup hockey finals in Detroit, May 25, 2008. REUTERS/Shaun Best (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

Detroit Red Wings Chris Chelios takes a rest during the team's practice for the NHL Stanley Cup Finals in Detroit May 25, 2008. REUTERS/Shaun Best (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

The Ice Sheet: Red Wings Can End it Tonight originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 02 Jun 2008 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stanley Cup Finals: Game Four Live Blog

Bruce Ciskie — Sat, 31 May 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Wings, NHL Live Blogging, Stanley Cup

Is tonight the night Pittsburgh establishes themselves as a legitimate threat to win the Stanley Cup?

Or is this the night the Detroit Red Wings stomp on the hopes of a nation full of people who don't like them?

Either way, we're going to be here, and we invite you to join us. Our Live Blog of Game Four begins at 7:30pm Eastern, as Kevin Schultz and Pat Lackey (and perhaps a couple other special guests) join me for an evening of pucks and snark.

This is obviously a huge game for both teams, as it carries with it some serious swing potential. We're either going to have a best-of-three after tonight, or Pittsburgh faces elimination Monday in "Hockeytown".

Live coverage begins after the jump at 7:30 Eastern.

Stanley Cup Finals: Game Four Live Blog originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sat, 31 May 2008 19:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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